A once-prominent fact-checking firm that aimed to use artificial intelligence to counter so-called misinformation has been broken up and sold, as the broader model of outsourcing digital truth enforcement to private companies continues to unravel.
Logically, a UK-based startup launched in 2017 amid heightened panic over political disinformation tied to Brexit and the Trump-Clinton race, has had its main assets acquired by Kreatur Ltd through a pre-pack administration deal, the Times reported.
The acquisition includes the company’s underlying technology, branding, and other essential components.
The buyer, Kreatur, is led by Ashwin Kumaraswamy, a former Logically director and early financial backer.
Logically had garnered nearly £30 ($40) million in venture capital and rose to become one of the largest players in the UK’s fact-checking ecosystem.
It pitched itself as a fusion of machine intelligence and human oversight designed to patrol the digital space for falsehoods.
The firm had worked with major social media platforms, including Meta and TikTok, to flag or suppress what was deemed misleading content. Both companies eventually severed ties with Logically.
The unraveling of Logically comes amid a broader shift away from centralized fact-checking partnerships. Platforms have begun scaling back their reliance on external content moderation firms after facing censorship criticism.
Meta, for instance, announced it would abandon the fact-checking model altogether in the United States. This followed a similar move by X.
